I wasn't terribly satisfied with the twist vis-a-vis River, but after building it up this long, I expected as much. In the end, I'm kind of happy she just turned out to be who she turned out to be. That could have gone in multiple directions that would have upset me more.

That having been said, I really LOVED a lot about this episode, particularly his menagerie of an army. The Sontaran Nurse was hillarious and I had almost forgotten how much I love the Silurians with their battle masks on. Awesome. I thought the Headless Monks were cool too. We better get a lot of figures out of this episode, CO.

The whole Runaway speech was brilliant. Really enjoyed that.

I get the reservations people have about the whole Doctor destroying a Cyber Legion on a whim, but I can't get worked up about that. It was worth it to me just so Rory could deliver the "Should I repeat the question" line in all his formerly plastic Roman awesomeness.

I feel for the people who aren't digging this, but boy I thought it was a lot of fun.

What I hate is now having to wait for more. I despise this idea of splitting the Series, but oh well.

sorry i'm only on page two of reading this thread, been real busy gigging the past couple of weeks and just marathoned the last three episodes and i gotta say i really enjoyed them, and this post says just what i would say on the matter. very fun episode with alot of great quotes.

having said all that i am however very torn, i love the overlaying story arcs and the unfolding plot points that span multiple seasons, but i am also becoming fautiqued having to think about it all the time. i would very much like it after this season if smith could just have some good ole pertwee fun and just have a string of great one and two part stories. i think matt smith could even have a child companion and make it believable and fun because he is soooo good at the part. if they need a conection through the stories do something like tom's first season. ahhh i could go on but you guys know what we want timelords, fun, yadda yadda, etc.lol

having said all that i do like the twist they are going with that the doctor has lived so long through so many periods of time and meddled in so many peoples affairs that they would eventually go to great links to stop him. and the headless monks are cool. lol

wow, this sure was gamechanging!!! no one guessed that river song was related to amy pond, the most important companion of all time (both characters created by steven moffat, btw). reusing all the monster costumes from last series for another "army" (this time helping the doctor, not trapping him in a box), pure genius.

50 more questions, no answers, this show is getting better than lost. i really hope this series ends with some sort of alternate universe where river killed the doctor in the first episode, but river, amy, and rory change that so he doesn't really "die", in our universe (completely different from "rebooting" the universe from last series finale).

this may be pure coincidence but when the doc is in the controll area of the ship sitting in chair rather cocky, one of the screens behind him has what looks like the crack on the that screen. do do do do, do do do do, do do do do, do do!

The only problem I had was that the Doctor didn't "fall further than ever before" as promised. He was tricked, but it wasn't a complete disaster. River Song pretty much proves that he'll rescue or at least rehabilitate the stolen baby.The Doctor making a point of taking out the Cybermen first rather than improving something when they became involved directly shows that the Doctor does respect them as a serious threat.

I'm guessing it's something that the Doctor hasn't done yet. The last time we saw the ... uh ... Catholic soldiers they seemed distrustful of him, but willing to work together. This time they see him as an enemy, acting almost like they want revenge for something.

also if River is who she now says she is. . .now we know of a companion's child who has died on the series. how depressing is that?

I'm more skeeved out than depressed. If you knew someone since that person was a baby (and you were freakin' 900+ years old) would you be able to smooch and (presumably) have sex with it? The Doctor's kinda like a pedophile now -- the way he was preening after he found out River's identity made it seem like he was off to have his first date. With a baby. Gross.

But aside from the disappointing and potentially creepy River revelation, I thought it was a good episode. Not great, since I had several other problems with it -- among them, that totally lackluster army, the Doctor acting like this is the first time he's gotten angry (even if we assume he's just talking about his time as 11, he flipped out and frontkicked a Dalek simply for serving tea), the Doctor being fooled twice via the same trick, and that the Cybermen had such a limited role after the spoiler pics got my hopes all up -- but it was enjoyable enough.

I'm more skeeved out than depressed. If you knew someone since that person was a baby (and you were freakin' 900+ years old) would you be able to smooch and (presumably) have sex with it? The Doctor's kinda like a pedophile now --

I completely disagree. I've heard this argument all over the place, but what everyone needs to remember is that the Doctor didn't know River since she was a baby, he knew her as an adult first. An adult who all but told him that they were lovers. Then after playing into it and smooching her and liking it, he then met a baby version of her.

Basically, think of it this way, if you were married or dating someone and then had an accident and ended up back in time and held your significant other as a baby -maybe even were forced to spend a few years in the past with her family - would you then be a pedophile? No, because your wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend is still in the future waiting for you just as you met and left them. You wouldn't be a pedophile and neither is Doctor.

Now if the Doctor knew Melody first and became a sort of Uncle to her and was there for her whole life then dated her, that might be odd, but still not pedophile. But as it happens, this isn't the case. He knew River as an adult woman before ever seeing a baby version of her.

Last edited by terrasolo on Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:32 am; edited 1 time in total

Now if the Doctor knew Melody first and became a sort of Uncle to her and was there for her whole life then dated her, that might be odd, but still not pedophile. But as it happens, this isn't the case. He knew River as an adult woman before ever seeing a baby version of her. [italics mine]

Except from his perspective, he hasn't dated/shagged River yet -- so from his perspective the italicized part is exactly what's about to happen. It might still happen in reverse in his timeline, but now it'll happen with his knowledge of who River is and that he will kinda sorta help raise her as she grows up. And that is some creepy Genji stuff if you ask me.